Blog

INVESTING INSIGHTS
AT WILLIAM BLAIR

August 17, 2016 | Global Equity
World Heat Map: Turmoil and Opportunities

Portfolio Manager

Casey Preyss, CFA, partner, is a portfolio manager for William Blair’s Emerging Markets Growth, Emerging Markets Small Cap Growth, China A-Shares Growth, China Growth, and Emerging Markets ex China Growth strategies. Since joining William Blair in 2000, he has been a research analyst covering industrials, IT, and resources stocks. Before taking on fundamental research responsibilities for William Blair’s global equity team, Casey was a quantitative analyst. Before joining the firm, he was an international equity research sales associate with Thomas White International. He received a B.S.B.A. from The Ohio State University and an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

We’ve created a heat map of political uncertainty to highlight some emerging risks and opportunities across the globe. This map illustrates a notable trend: Developed markets are experiencing increasing political turmoil while emerging markets are seeing, broadly speaking, a more favorable political environment.

As you take a tour around the world below (red is negative, green is positive, and yellow is a warning sign), here are a few key insights:

  • Rising populism in developed markets has created varying degrees of political pressures and increased uncertainty in the U.K., Europe, and U.S. The U.K.’s vote to leave the European Union (Brexit) is a good example of the trend that is affecting developed markets.
  • Latin America is increasingly “green,” as we find that most of the region’s past decade’s populist governments are out of office and replaced by more business-friendly leaders. Brazil is the best example, with the downfall of President Dilma Rousseff, who is under corruption investigation and suspended from the presidency pending formal impeachment proceedings—replaced by a market-friendly administration under Vice President Michel Temer. There are also new administrations in Argentina and Peru that are pro-reform.
  • Asia has also seen a trend toward more pro-reform, pro-business political leadership, with India and Indonesia standing out.

One emerging market outlier—Turkey—is red given the recent deterioration of political institutions, which we expect will have a negative impact on the Turkish economy and weigh on the currency as well. However, we believe Turkey is a manageable risk as it accounts for less than 1.5% of the broad MSCI Emerging Markets Index.

Portfolio Manager

Casey Preyss, CFA, partner, is a portfolio manager for William Blair’s Emerging Markets Growth, Emerging Markets Small Cap Growth, China A-Shares Growth, China Growth, and Emerging Markets ex China Growth strategies. Since joining William Blair in 2000, he has been a research analyst covering industrials, IT, and resources stocks. Before taking on fundamental research responsibilities for William Blair’s global equity team, Casey was a quantitative analyst. Before joining the firm, he was an international equity research sales associate with Thomas White International. He received a B.S.B.A. from The Ohio State University and an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business.

Related Posts

Subscribe Now

Want the latest insights on the economy and other forces shaping the investment landscape? Subscribe to our blog today.

Left Menu Icon
 

Subscribe to Our Blog Now

Want the latest insights on the economy and other forces shaping the investment landscape? Subscribe to our blog today.

SIGN UP